League's influence felt as special session begins

When the Legislature convenes today in a court-ordered special session to redraw two congressional districts, the Florida League of Women Voters won’t have a seat at the table.

But its influence — and, to its GOP critics, the league’s partisan maneuvering — will cast a long shadow over the Legislature’s efforts.

It was the League of Women Voters that in 2010 helped lead the passage of voter amendments designed to create fair and representative districts.

And it was the League in 2012 that challenged the Legislature’s efforts at redrawing the districts, leading to a lawsuit that forced Florida lawmakers to potentially re-draw at least two congressional districts just three months before the election.

Republicans accuse the League of Women Voters of abdicating its popular image as a nonpartisan organization aimed at improving voter education and participation.

In addition to the league’s involvement on redistricting, Republicans point to the group’s advocacy on issues like opposition to school vouchers, support for global warming initiatives, support for Obamacare and gun control.

The criticism was renewed in May when a judge began considering a lawsuit from the league and other groups alleging the congressional districts were unconstitutional. The lawsuit has resulted in a court order forcing lawmakers to redraw the congressional districts in a nine-day special session.

“I think the proof is in the pudding,” said Jamie Miller, a veteran Republican campaign strategist in Sarasota. “Everything they stand for and push for are talking points right out of the Democratic Party hymnbook.”

Deirdre Macnab, the Winter Park businesswoman who has led the Florida league for last five years, has heard the accusations many times. But she said the Florida league has pushed for a nonpartisan way to draw districts for state lawmakers and congressional members since its beginning, including many decades when the Democrats ran Florida as a one-party state.

“They never wanted to relinquish control of how to draw political districts,” Macnab said. “And of course when the Republicans took over they never wanted to relinquish control.”

Macnab noted the league nationally has battled Democrats in other states over redistricting reforms, including California and Illinois. In Florida, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, whose district may be changed in the special session, has vigorously opposed the league's efforts to change the redistricting process.

“We get called a lot of names,” Macnab said. “We’ve been called the League of Women Vipers and other things. When Legislature doesn’t appreciate it, whether it’s open government, transparency or contribution limits, they try to attack us with allegations of partisanship or nasty names.

“When you don’t have the facts on your side the oldest trick in the book is to claim partisanship. And we remain undeterred by that.”

Macnab also noted the national league, or its Florida branch, has never endorsed a candidate or a political party over the organization’s 94-year history. “They can say whatever they want, but the facts are incontestable,” she said.

Over the years, the LWV has drawn little controversy and much praise for its voter education activities, which in 2012 in Florida included the publication of 1.1 million voter guides and reaching out to some 23,000 voters to explain the pros and cons of 11 constitutional amendments that were on the ballot. The group also registered 4,000 voters.

But the LWV has been criticized for its increased activity on political issues, including support for the federal health care law and expansion of Medicaid, public campaign financing and environmental issues, including opposition to oil drilling in Florida.

And it’s not just in Florida. In 2011, the national league drew complaints for running tough campaign-style ads against Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri for their votes on air-quality legislation.

Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida, said the Florida league had developed a solid reputation over the years for its nonpartisan candidate forums and voter registration efforts.

“The disconnect with some people who think that the group has become more partisan is because their mantra for years in many places across Florida was as the neutral conductor of candidate forums and registration, more than on issues,” MacManus said. “They have become more issue-focused in recent years.”

Another criticism about the league’s lawsuit involves its financing. Macnab said the money for the lawsuit has come from the “Fair Districts” coalition and her group is not involved in any of the fund-raising. Others have tied the lawsuit’s financial support to groups related to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Macnab said neither the lawsuit nor the costs would be necessary if the Legislature had complied with the constitutional amendments, which were supported by more than 3 million voters, when it drew the 2012 map.

“They are the ones that put us in this situation,” Macnab said. “They have been using taxpayer money to fight the will of the voters. To me that’s a much bigger story.”

The Florida LWV has about 20,000 members, Macnab said. But she does not have a breakdown on the number of Democrats, Republicans or other parties because the league “doesn’t ask.” The league does have some Republican leaders, including former state Sen. Alex Villalobos of Miami, who is on the statewide board.

The LWV also welcomes male members. “We are very much an organization of men and women,” Macnab said.

The league operates as a “volunteer” organization relying on its members for its education and advocacy programs. Macnab said those volunteers will be in Tallahassee over the next week urging lawmakers to draw new congressional districts that comply with the “Fair Districts” amendments.

The league is also advocating for those changes to take effect immediately, although legislative leaders have said they oppose impacting the ongoing 2014 elections where voting is already occurring in the Aug. 26 primary.

“One thing our organization is rooted in is perseverance and determination,” Macnab said, noting it took four constitutional petition drives before voters backed the redistricting measures in 2010.

“We’re not under any delusion that the battle is over,” Macnab said. “Good government takes continuous vigilance and scrutiny and participation by citizens. Elected officials always need to know that citizens and voters are paying attention. When we’re not paying attention, that’s when trouble re-emerges.”

Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief.
He can be reached by email or call 850 556-3542.
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Last modified: August 7, 2014
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